Wire drawing machine



(No Model.)

6 SheetsSheet l J. P. ELLIS.

WIRE DRAWING MACHINE.

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Patented Dec. 30, 1890.

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Patented Dec. 30, I890.

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WIRE DRAWING MACHINE.

Patented Deo. 30, 1890.

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(No Model.)

J. F. ELLIS. WIRE DRAWING MACHINE 1 I0. 448,'752. Patented Dec. 30, 1890 We? QEFWLFEZZYZV mama, 0. c4

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J. P. ELLIS.

WIRE DRAWING MACHINE. No; 443,752. Patented Deb, 30, 1890.

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- 6 SheetsSheet 6. J F. ELLIS. WIRE DRAWING MACHINE.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. ELLIS, OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE COE BRASS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WIRE-DRAWING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,752, dated December 80, 1890.

Application filed July 5, 1890. Serial No. 357,791. (No model.)

To (0% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. ELLIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Torrington, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ire-Drawing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

i This invention relates 'to certain novel and useful improvements in machines for drawing wire, but is more particularly designed for treating heavy wire and rods, and has for its object to improve upon the construction of previous machines of this class, and particularly to provide a machine which shall be simple and powerful, in which the drawing-in operation, so called, shall be effected by. devices forming part of the machine, in which the wire when the drawing operation is completed shall be automatically released, and in which the wire can neither foul the gripping devices nor become cramped or drawn obliquely through the die; and having the foregoing object in view my invention consists and resides in the details of construction and the several combinations of co-operating elements hereinafter fully and in detail explained, and then recited in the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appcrtains may fully understand its construction and the method of its operation, I will describe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail plan. view of the block and the die-holding devices. Fig. l is a detail side elevation of the parts shown at Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail end elevation illustrating the construction of the clutch mechanism between the block and shaft; Fig.6, a detail longitudinal section through the block; Fig. 7, a detail plan view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the machine in operation upon a coil of wire. 5 In this view the die-holder and die are shown in section,

as is also the vise.

Like numerals denote the same parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is a bench or frame upon which the parts of the machine are mounted, certain of said parts being preferably in duplicate, so as to make the machine double.

In the form of machine shown a shaft 2 is journaled in suitable bearings transversely upon the bench 1, said shaft carrying a central gear 3, whereby power is applied to the shaft. The gear 3 may be driven from any suitable source of power; but I find that the construction shown at Fig. 2namely, a j ackshaft- 5, extended beneath the floor and carrying a pinion at, meshing with the gear gives excellent practical results.

The ends of the shaft 2 are adapted to support and carry the drawing-blocks (5, of which the machine shown is provided with two. Each of these blocks has a bearing arranged axially thereof, (see particularly Figs. 5 and (3,) and the end of the shaft 2 enters this bearing. As shown at Fig. 5, the bearing within the block has a recess '7 cut therein, in which recess is loosely contained a key 8, having a handle 9, whereby it may be moved with a rocking motion within the limits indicated by the full and dotted lines at Figs. 4 and 5. That portion of the shaft 2 upon which the block is supported is provided with a longitudinally-cut key-seat, whose general shape.

in section appears at Fig. 5. This key-seat is adapted to co-operate with the key 8 so as to form a clutch between the shaft and block, whose purpose and method of operation will be set forth specifically in describing the working of the machine.

10 is a flange which extends spirally around the block, as is shown by Figs. 3 and (3. The purpose of this flange is to direct the course of the wire as the latter is wound upon the block, so that the spiral direction is imparted to the wire, and at the same time said wire is prevented from in any way fouling or interfering with the vise or its attachments. This flange is one of the features of my invention.

By an inspection of Figs. -.1 and 5, from which latter the drawing-in device is omitted, it will be observed that the periphery of the block immediately behind the outer end of the spiral flange is recessed,as seen at 11, for the purpose of accommodating a short length of heavy chain 12, which is secured at the rear end of the recess by a pin 13 and a vise 14, carried upon the end of the chain and adapted to seize and hold the end of the coil of wire to be drawn. The recess at its rear portion is sufficiently deep to letin the chain, and beneath the vise it is deepened, on account of the greater thickness of the latter. The recess and vise are so adapted to each other that as the wire leads out from the rise jaws onto the periphery of the block between the ends of the flange it shall not be subjccted to any short twist or bend. This vise consists of a housing 15, to which the chain is attached, (see Fig. 7,) the interior of said housing having opposite]y-inclined surfaces, a pair of jaws 16, having serrated faces and arranged and operating between the inclined surfaces just referred to after the manner of wedges, and an operating-handle 17, whereby the jaws may be retracted in the housing in order to separate their serrated faces for the introduction of a piece of wire.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 3, 4, and 7, 18 is a bar whose inner end is secured upon the bench, as seen at 19, and is preferably provided with means, as the set-screw 20, for slightly changing its angle relative to the bench, and whose outer end is supported and securely held by means of a brace-rod 21, whose rear extremity is slightly adj ustablc in a bracket 92, secured to the edge of the bench. The bar just referred to does not lie upon the surface of the bench, but is preferably raised slightly above said surface, as is seen at Fig. it. Arranged in the transverse opening in said carriage and bearing against the rear edge of the bar which forms a track therefor is a wheel or roller 24, j ournaled upon a short vertical shaft 25, whose bearing is in the top and bottom of the carriage. Thefront wall of this carriage, which is represented by 26 and is shown in section at Fig. '7, forms abase against which the die 27 rests when the machine is in operation. The body of the carriage behind the wall 26 forms a convenient receptacle for the soap or grease which is applied to the wire prior to its passage through the die. The rearend of the carriage extends beneath a guide-bar 2!), and is provided with a roll 98 to cause the carriage to move easily beneath said guide-bar.

The operation of the machine when constructed and arranged as aforesaid is as follows: A length of wire, such as A, is led from a convenient reel, and its end, which has been suitably reduced in a pointing machine, passed through the die 27, which latter is then placed against the rear surface of the wall 26 in coincidence with the hole in said wall. At

this time the clutch between the shaft and block is in its disengaged position, (see dotted lines at Fig. 5,) so that said shaft is revolving idly in its bearing in the block, while the latter stands still. The operator then seizes the vise byits handle 7, and by pulling upon and drawing out the chain turns the block and causes said chain to extend outward tangentially from the periphery of the block, so that the short end of the wire, which projects through the die beyond the front wall of the carriage, is within the reach of and may be inserted between the vise-jaws. The carriage at this time is in the position relative to its bar and the block which appears at Fig. 3. \Vhen the end of the wire has been suitably inserted in the vise, the operator raises the handle of the key, so as to throw the latter into engagement with the key-seat in the shaft 2 when the latter reaches the position shown at Fig. This clutches the shaft and block together, so that as the latter turns in the direction of the arrow (see Figs. -t and '7) the wire is drawn through the die. As soon as a length of wire has been drawn through which is equal to the length of the chain, the vise and chain resume the position in the recess which is shown at Figs. 3,4, and 7. As the wire is drawn, its first coil about; the block, which I have designated by the letter 1%, follows the outside edge of the spiral flange, so that when said wire has made one circuit of the block it has been guided outward by the flange, so as to be beyond the vise and incapable of fouling the latter. As this outward movement of the wire takes place the die and the carriage 23, in which said die is supported, move outward along the bar 18, so as to keep the line of draft of the wire always axial of the die. The wheels 91 and 28 serve to diminish friction and permit the carriage to move easily, and the adjustability of the bar by means of its end attachment 19 and 20 will permit the angle at which said bar stands relative to the line of draft of the wire to be varied, so that if found necessary the bar may be slightly inclined. In addition to its traversing movement along the bar 18, the carriage may have a swinging movement upon the wheel it as a pivotal point. This prevents any side draft upon the die as the wire passes through it, and thus the traversing movement is supplemented by the swingingmovement and the adjustment of the die rendered extremely delicate. In Fig. 7 it will be observed that the carriage and die have traveled substantially the whole length of the rod from the starting position shown at Fig. 3. So long as the drawing strain eontinues the clutch engagement between the shaft and block will subsist, and the grasp of the vise upon the end of the wire will not releasc. \Vhen, however, the entire coil has been drawn and the rear end of said coil has passed the die, the strain immediately ceases, and upon the block reaching the position shown at Fig. 5 the key will drop backward out of the key-seat and into the recess in the block, whereupon the block stands still and the shaft again revolves idly within it. As the vise is dependent upon the drawing strain for its grasp upon the wire, the cessation of this strain will disengage the wire from said vise, thereby leaving the whole coil free and loose upon the block and requiring only to be removed. At the same time the coil remains upon the block and is not thrown off upon the floor.

It will be observed from the foregoing that the vise serves not only as the permanent means for grasping and holding the wire,b'ut also as the means for performing the socallet drawing in, operation which has usually hitherto been effected by a separate operation requiring a special appliance.

In operating this machine one attendant may keep both blocks in operation, since he has only to pass the wire through the dieinto the vise and then engage the clutch, the drawing and the releasing of the wire when drawn being automatically effected, as aforesaid. In inserting a new coil of wire the die-carriage and die are moved backward along the bar from the position shown at Fig. 7 to substantially the position shown at Fig. 3.

I claim- 1. In awire-drawingmachine, the combination, with a rotative block and means for attaching the wire thereto, of the transverselyextended bar secured upon the bench and serving as a track, the carriage adapted to hold the die and arranged around the bar, and a wheel or roller interposed between said carriage and the bar, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for drawing wire, the combination, with the block, of the bench, a bar or track arranged upon said bench, and a dieholding carriage provided with a wheel engaging said track, said carriage adapted to traverse said bar and likewise to swing pivotally upon its connection with said bar, substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with the block, of a bar or track mounted upon the bench and adapted to support the die-holding carriage and means engaging said bar whereby the angle of the latter may be adjusted and varied, substantially as described.

4. In amachine of the character described, the combination, with the block, of the bar or track, the die-holding carriage, a wheel mounted therein and adapted to engage said track, a guide-bar secured upon said bench and substantially parallel with the bar 18, and a wheel or roll secured upon said carriage and adapted to engage said guide-bar, substantially as described.

5. In a wire-drawingmachine, the combination,with the bench, of a bar or track arranged thereon, a guide-bar parallel with said bar or track, and the die-holding carriage provided with two rolls whose axes are at right angles, one of said rolls adapted to engage each of the bars, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for drawing wire, the combination, with the bench, of the two bars parallel, or substantially so, and secured upon said bench, and the carriage having wheels flat and 28, the former adapted to engage the rear surface of one of the bars and the other adapted to engage the under surface of the other bar, substantially as described.

'7. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with the shaft, of the block having a spiral guide-flange, the grasping devices mounted between the ends of said flange, and the laterally-traversable die arranged adjacent to the block and controlled as to position by the lead of the wire upon the latter, substantially as specified.

8. In a wire-drawing machine, the combination of the following elements: a block having a flange formed upon and extending spirally around its periphery, a chain bearing a vise secured upon said block within the outer end of the flange, a rotative shaft upon which the block is mounted, a movable clutch interposed between the block and shaft, and the traversable die adjacent to the block,substantially as specified.

9. Ina Wire-drawing machine, the combination, with the shaft having a key-seat therein, of the block mounted upon said shaft and provided with a recess, a swinging clutchkey lying in the recess and adapted to be turned inward to engage the key-seat, and means, as a handle, for operating said key.

10. In a wire-drawing machine, the block mounted upon a horizontal axis and provided with the spiral guide-flange extending around its periphery, and a chain and vise attached thereto between the extremities of the flange, in combination with a horizontally-extended track adjacent to the block, a die-carriage having a suitable die, and a roller interposed between the track and carriage, whereby the said carriage may 'be permitted a movement along the track, substantially as specified.

11. In a wire-drawing machine, the comhination, with the block mounted and adapted to rotate in a horizontal plane and provided with means for grasping the wire, of a track or way substantially parallel with the axis of the block, and a die-holding carriage mounted on and traversable along said track, said carriage being capable in addition of a swinging movement upon its connection with said track.

12. The horizontallydisposed shaft and means for rotating the same, in combination with the block mounted thereon and provided with grasping devices, and a gravitating clutch-key interposed between the block and shaft, said key adapted to be engaged manually with the shaft and block and there held by the drawing strain of the machine.

13. In a machine of the character described,

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In testimony whereof I allix my sigrml'nre in 10 p1 esenee of two Witnesses.

JOHN F. ELLIS.

l \vitnesses:

CHAS. l. BROOKER, l JOHN GATE. 

